The
Four Great Classical Novels, or the
Four Major Classical Novels () of
Chinese literature, are the four novels commonly counted by scholars to be the greatest and most influential of classical Chinese fiction. Well known to most Chinese readers of the 20th century, they are not to be confused with the
Four Books of
Confucianism.
Four Great Classics
The Four Great Classical Novels are considered to be the pinnacle of China's achievement in classical novels, influencing the creation of many stories, theater, movies, games, and other entertainment throughout East Asia including
China,
Japan,
Korea, and
Vietnam.
In chronological order, they are:
- Water Margin () (also known as Outlaws of the Marsh) (14th century),
History
The original concept of the Four Great Classical Novels () was already established by the Late-Ming, Early-Qing Dynasties.
Li Yu (李渔), in an introduction to
Romance of the Three Kingdoms, noted that
Feng Menglong's (馮夢龍) description of the Four Great Classical Novels included
Romance of the Three Kingdoms,
Water Margin,
Journey to the West, and
Jin Ping Mei () (
The Plum in the Golden Vase or
Golden Lotus).
After the publication of
Dream of the Red Chamber, a new concept of the Four Great Classical Novels () was created, replacing
Jin Ping Mei with
Dream of the Red Chamber. Because both concepts can be translated as "Four Great Classical Novels" there is often disagreement as to whether
Jin Ping Mei belongs among the Four Great Classical Novels.
The "Fifth" Great Classical Novel
Because of its explicit descriptions of sex,
Jin Ping Mei has been banned for most of its existence. Despite this, some scholars and writers, including
Lu Xun place it among the top Chinese novels. Among literary scholars, the novel is still highly regarded. Thus it is sometimes considered to be the fifth classical novel.
Category:Chinese classic textsCategory:Chinese literatureCategory:Chinese literary schools and movementsda:De fire klassiske romanerde:Vier klassische Romanees:Las cuatro novelas clásicas chinasfr:Quatre livres extraordinairesko:중국 4대 기서id:Empat Karya Sastra Termasyhurit:Quattro grandi romanzi classicihe:ארבעת הרומנים הקלאסיים הסינייםja:四大奇書ru:Четыре классических романаsv:De fyra stora talspråksromanernath:สี่สุดยอดวรรณกรรมจีนvi:Tứ đại kỳ thưuk:Чотири класичні романиzh:四大名著 
